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NFL Sets Special Draft Declaration Deadline For CFP

November 15th, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Earlier this month, the NFL sent a memo out to sports agents detailing the eligibility rules for the 2025 NFL Draft, provided on X by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The memo included reminders of usual eligibility rules and provided an update to deadlines with the NCAA’s first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff in mind.

With the extended playoff drawing the college football season out a few more weeks than in the past, it makes sense for the NFL to make some alterations to the deadlines for underclassmen to declare that they are forgoing their remaining college eligibility. There are now three deadlines for players to declare for the draft.

The first deadline follows the conclusion of the playoff’s quarterfinals, which finish on New Year’s Day. This early “soft” deadline (Monday, January 6) allows any players whose seasons have ended early an opportunity to make their declaration without waiting. The traditional “hard” deadline follows the playoff’s semifinal games, which conclude on January 10. The “hard” deadline (Wednesday, January 15) will be required for any prospects who are not participating in the FBS Championship Game.

The new, special “Championship” deadline is obviously for the players on the two teams competing in the NCAA’s season finale on January 20. The deadline for players in that final game is Friday, January 24. Players who submit their applications for any of the three deadlines will have 72 hours to revoke their submissions, and the deadline to “opt-out” of the 2025 NFL Draft is Friday, February 7.

For those unaware, the usual eligibility rules that apply require players to be three years removed from high school in order to declare. So, college athletes that entered collegiate athletics in 2020 or before are automatically eligible to declare, as are athletes who entered in 2021 and did not utilize a redshirt year. This classification includes all seniors, redshirt seniors, graduate transfers, and sixth-year seniors — not to mention some of the rare cases of athletes in their seventh or eighth years of college football.

Players who entered in 2021 and utilized a redshirt season and players who entered collegiate football in 2022 must declare for special eligibility. This classification includes anyone who has yet to reach senior status — redshirt juniors, true juniors, and redshirt sophomores. Any players who entered college football in 2023 or 2024, assuming they enrolled immediately following high school graduation, will not be eligible to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft.

All of these qualifying players also have the option to opt-out of the draft and return to collegiate athletics if they have any eligibility remaining. The class of 2020 is the final class to receive the sixth year of eligibility granted to athletes in college during the COVID-19-affected 2020 season. Any players who entered college after 2020 will be subject to the regular eligibility rules that limit players to four playing seasons (any season in which a player appears in five or more games) and one redshirt season (any season in which a player appears in four or fewer games). Some players can be granted additional years of eligibility for injury or hardship reasons, but most athletes are restricted to four or five years of college.

Interest In 2026-27 QB Prospects Outshining 2025 NFL Draft

November 15th, 2024 at 8:09pm CST by Ely Allen

There will inevitably be some teams at the end of the 2024 NFL season that will be aching for a new quarterback for 2025. Rumors abound concerning the job security of Daniel Jones in New York, no one seems to be taking firm control of the starting job in Las Vegas, and uncertainty surrounds the recent investments in the position made in Indianapolis, Cleveland, Carolina, and Tennessee. The 2025 NFL Draft class may not offer enough answers for all these teams, so many are doing their research on the next couple of draft classes.

That doesn’t mean there are no options in 2025. Two passers seem to top the list for the upcoming draft: Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward. Sanders and his father (head coach and NFL legend Deion Sanders) have worked hard over the past two seasons to put the Buffaloes on track for a berth in the Big 12 title game and a chance at the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. Not quite elite with his arm or his legs, Sanders succeeds on technique utilizing good timing and ball placement to lead his offense. Having only played under his father in college, scouts have concerns about Sanders’ maturity and leadership abilities.

Ward, who formerly declared for the 2024 NFL Draft before withdrawing to transfer from Washington State to Coral Gables, has earned his place in the first-round conversation. Starting as a zero-star recruit at Incarnate Ward at the FCS level, Ward found a home in Pullman before joining the Hurricanes. The 22-year-old has led the Canes to a 9-1 record, throwing for 348 yards and three touchdowns in the team’s only loss. His composure in the pocket and elite arm talent make him an enticing prospect but can lead him into making some questionable decisions. He’s an obvious contender for the Heisman trophy, but his draft stock is still far from solidified.

Behind Sanders and Ward, there’s a pretty significant drop off to players like LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Georgia’s Carson Beck, and Penn State’s Drew Allar. All four players hold mid-round intrigue, but there’s plenty of time for any of them to work their way into the first-round conversations late like we saw Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix do last year.

While a couple teams will be in a position to take a quarterback early in the 2025 draft, and some may decide that Sanders or Ward are a fit for their organization, others are already doing their homework on the next few classes of college passers. Two redshirt freshmen and one true freshman have scouts licking their chops before they’ve even reached draft eligibility.

In Austin, redshirt freshman Arch Manning has been quietly building a ton of anticipation from the bench. The grandson of former Saints quarterback Archie Manning and son of Peyton and Eli’s brother Cooper, Manning has waited patiently behind the Longhorns’ starting passer Quinn Ewers. Seeing time in six games in relief of Ewers in 2024, Manning has shined in spurts for Texas.

Another NFL legacy player, Dylan Raiola — son of long-time Lions center Dominic Raiola — started off his true freshman season for Nebraska hot before falling off in recent weeks. After drawing early comparisons to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (mostly visually), Raiola came on strong in his collegiate start, throwing nine touchdowns to only two interceptions in his first five games. Since then, the Cornhuskers passer has cooled off quite a bit throwing only one touchdown to six picks.

Lastly, South Carolina has a redshirt freshman passer in LaNorris Sellers whose name is resounding in NFL scouting circles already. While his arm isn’t electric quite yet, Sellers has been effective en route to a 5-3 record as a starter. He also adds some dynamism with his legs averaging about 50 rushing yards per game on his way to four scores on the ground.

The talk for players like Manning, Raiola, and Sellers is obviously far too premature, as can be seen by Raiola’s midseason slump. The existence of such conversations, though, seems to underline the lack of excitement from the NFL in the 2025 draft class. Sanders and Ward are well on their way to hearing their names on the first night of the draft, but Nussmeier, Milroe, Beck, Allar, and others have some work ahead of them if they’re going to convince NFL squads to take a shot on them this offseason.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/15/24

November 15th, 2024 at 7:12pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s minor NFL moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

San Francisco 49ers

Wright was recently placed on injured reserve in order to make room for rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall on the active roster. He was an injury replacement for primary kicker Jake Moody before getting placed on IR himself. With Moody back, Wright’s place on the team became superfluous.

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Powers, Wills

November 15th, 2024 at 3:36pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Steelers are not expected to re-sign offensive linemen Dan Moore and James Daniels after the 2024 season, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show.

Moore is in the final year of his rookie contract with 58 career starts at left tackle for the Steelers, a solid return for the fourth-round pick used to draft him in 2021. However, he allowed at least seven sacks in each of his first three seasons, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and Pittsburgh used first-round draft picks on tackles in 2023 and 2024, signaling a desire to upgrade at the position. Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu primarily played left tackle in college, giving the Steelers multiple options to take over on the blindside in 2025.

Daniels started just four games at guard this year before tearing his Achilles, which will likely end his tenure in Pittsburgh. Daniels signed a three-year, $26.5MM contract with the Steelers in 2022 and largely played well over the last three years. However, the seven-year veteran will be looking to cash in on the massive increase in the guard market. Pittsburgh may not be inclined to spend so much at guard after drafting Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick this past year, especially with T.J. Watt and George Pickens in line for extensions at more expensive positions.

  • Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills said on Monday that his recent benching “was pretty shocking,” per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. “I made a business decision not to play after the Bengals game going into that Ravens game because I was injured,” explained Wills. He hyperextended his right knee on the first play against the Bengals in Week 7 and managed to finish the game but “couldn’t really bend” his knee the following day. He sat out Week 8 against the Ravens and was subsequently benched for Dawand Jones. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that “business decision” was a “poor choice of words” by Wills, though it would not affect whether or not he would play again this year, per Cabot. Stefanski also hinted that Willis’ 2023 injury is still hampering him. “I wouldn’t categorize it as a setback,” said Stefanski, per The Athletic’s Zac Jackson. “It hasn’t recovered how quickly he would want it to…it’s been a tough rehab for him.” Wills opted for surgery last year to repair his torn MCL – in the same knee he hyperextended recently – and did not debut until Week 3 this year. Wills is currently in the final year of his rookie contract, and his health issues may complicate extension negotiations with the Browns.
  • Broncos left guard Ben Powers confirmed he didn’t receive an offer to re-sign with the Ravens when he hit free agency in 2023, according to Chris Thomasson of The Denver Gazette. “I didn’t hear from them,” said Powers, who signed with the Broncos on a four-year, $52MM deal and returned to Baltimore for the first time in Week 9. However, the sixth-year guard didn’t hold it against Baltimore, saying that he “kind of understood their situation. That was the offseason they were handling [Lamar Jackson‘s] contract, so I kind of anticipated it.”
  • Steelers offensive line coach Pat Meyer will be expected to develop his group of young blockers over the next few seasons as Pittsburgh figures out a long-term plan at quarterback. Meyer in his third year with the team after Shaun Sarrett was fired after the 2020 season and his successor, Adrian Klemm, left for Oregon before the end of 2021. His departure was related to tensions with then-offensive coordinator Matt Canada, per Kaboly. The Steelers then fired Canada in November 2023, the franchise’s first in-season coaching change since 1941.

NFC South Notes: Brooks, Canales, Saints

November 15th, 2024 at 1:50pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks is expected to make his NFL debut after Carolina’s Week 11 bye, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Brooks was activated from the reserve/non-football injury list November 6 ahead of the Panthers’ Week 10 matchup with the Giants in Germany, but he remained inactive for that game. Instead, he will have to wait even longer for his first professional snaps after being drafted by Carolina with the 46th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Brooks’ debut will come against the reigning Super Bowl winners, who have held opponents to 83.2 rushing yards per game this year, the third-lowest in the league. The 21-year-old running back will likely ease into the Panthers’ game plan with teammate Chuba Hubbard ranking in the top five in rushing yards and attempts this season. With Brooks, Hubbard and Miles Sanders all signed through 2026, Carolina may consider some two-back formations to get the most out of its offense.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Panthers owner David Tepper has made four head coaching changes since 2022, but Dave Canales is expected to keep his job despite his team’s record this year, per The Athletic’s Joseph Person. But changes on his staff could be impending with the defense allowing a league-worst 31.0 points per game and 2022 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young still struggling to develop.
  • Though Brian Burns was clearly frustrated with the lack of progress on extension talks with the Panthers, he did not force his way out of Carolina. “I never requested a trade,” said Burns, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. However, it was clear that the Panthers would not give him the $28.2MM per-year contract that he eventually signed with the Giants, per ESPN’s David Newton.
  • The Panthers needed additional salary cap space in October, so they restructured the contract of outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum. Carolina converted this year’s per game roster bonuses into a signing bonus and adding three voidable years to the end of his contract, which expires after the 2025 season, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. His 2024 salary cap hit dropped to $2.525MM with a $8.4MM cap hit in 2025.
  • The Saints are facing a key contract decision with quarterback Derek Carr, who has a $51.5MM salary cap hit in 2025 with $10MM in guaranteed salary and a $10MM roster bonus. The remaining $30MM of his salary is currently guaranteed for injury but becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2025 league year, per Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap. New Orleans is already projected to be $63.8MM over the salary cap in 2025, so it may need to consider moving on from Carr to kickstart a rebuild and help its financial situation. The Saints may consider benching Carr like the Broncos did with Russell Wilson last year to make sure that he doesn’t get injured and trigger his guarantees for the 2025 season.
  • Alvin Kamara‘s recent extension includes some specific requirements for the All-Pro running back to reach his contract’s maximum value. If he does not attend 100 percent of OTAs in 2025 – something he has not done in several years – the Saints can reduce his salary by $353,000, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. If Kamara records at least 1,600 yards from scrimmage in 2026, he is eligible for a $500,000 bonus for each Satins postseason victory that year, per Terrell.

Harrison Butker Placed On IR; Chiefs Sign Spencer Shrader Off Jets’ P-Squad

November 15th, 2024 at 11:10am CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 15: The Chiefs have indeed placed Butker on injured reserve, announcing the move on Friday. The Shrader addition is also now official, and he will now have the opportunity to handle kicking duties for at least the next four games. Butker revealed on social media his surgery was a success, and he will now turn his attention to recovery ahead of a return to action as quickly as possible.

NOVEMBER 14: With the Chiefs winning the bulk of their games by one score, their ace kicker has been crucial to their 9-0 record. The two-time defending champions will soon have a new kicker due to a Harrison Butker injury.

Butker is battling a left knee injury, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, and is likely heading to IR. The injury is expected to sideline the longtime Kansas City specialist for at least three weeks; an IR stay would shelve him for four. As a result, the Chiefs plan to sign Spencer Shrader off the Jets’ practice squad, Pelissero adds.

This injury will require surgery, per Pelissero, as Butker will have an arthroscopic procedure to address the issue. The Chiefs made Butker the NFL’s highest-paid kicker this offseason, re-signing him to a $6.4MM-per-year deal. While Butker’s long-term status is not in question, his availability for this year’s homestretch is.

Butker, 29, practiced fully Wednesday but was limited today. This recent development could be a major issue for the Chiefs, who have seen Butker become one of the NFL’s best kickers over the past several years. Kansas City signed Butker off Carolina’s practice squad in 2017 and have seen him become a long-term weapon. Butker has become the team’s longest-tenured kicker since Nick Lowery.

Butker’s place as a political lightning rod — due to comments made during a commencement address at Benedictine (Kan.) College this spring — notwithstanding, he has continued to be among the NFL’s most reliable kickers. Butker is 18-for-20 on field goals this season, including a 51-yard game-winner to move the Chiefs past the Bengals in Week 2. Butker is 21-for-22 on PATs this season. Shrader, whom the Jets signed shortly before Greg Zuerlein landed on IR, has kicked in two NFL games.

No Pro Bowls have come Butker’s way, but he has been a vital part of the Chiefs’ mission. He kicked a short game-winner in Super Bowl LVII but made a 45-yarder in cold weather to send the Chiefs to that game. Butker also nailed a game-tying kick to force overtime in an all-time playoff thriller against the Bills in 2021 and did the same to force an extra period in Super Bowl LVIII. The latter kick came after Butker set a Super Bowl record with a 57-yarder against the 49ers.

The Panthers drafted Butker in the 2017 seventh round but let him leave for Kansas City due to Graham Gano residing as their primary kicker then. Butker has run into injury trouble in the past; an ankle malady cost him four games early during the 2022 season. This year’s Chiefs team, its unbeaten record aside, has outscored opponents by just 58 points — ninth-most in the NFL. They will now rely on Shrader for the time being, though Butker should be expected back later this season.

A rookie who kicked at South Florida for four seasons and Notre Dame for one, Shrader filled in for Matt Gay in one Colts game this season before kicking in the Jets-Cardinals matchup in Week 10. Shrader is 2-for-2 on field goals, both coming Sunday, and 3-for-3 on PATs (each with Indianapolis). The Jets cut Riley Patterson last week but still have Anders Carlson on their P-squad.

Jonathan Mingo Did Not Expect To Be Traded; WR To Make Cowboys Debut In Week 11

November 15th, 2024 at 10:33am CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys were involved in the trade market last week when they acquired Jonathan Mingo. The second-year wideout fell out of the Panthers’ plans, and with term left on his rookie contract he can be a contributor for Dallas in 2024 and beyond.

Mingo was known to be a trade candidate leading up to the deadline, and Carolina had already been active at the position by dealing Diontae Johnson to the Ravens. Dallas did not profile as the most logical of potential buyers given the team’s struggles this year, but the trade – which saw Mingo and a seventh-round pick exchanged for a fourth-rounder – is of course not strictly a rental. Still, the 23-year-old was surprised he found himself on the move at the deadline.

“It kind of blindsided me, because my agent told me he didn’t think anything was going to happen, slim chance,” Mingo said when reflecting on the trade (via the Cowboys’ website). “So that slim chance happened. I’m happy to be a Cowboy, fresh start for me, new beginnings, God put me here for a reason.”

The 2023 second-rounder entered the league with high expectations last year, but he managed only 418 scoreless yards. Carolina’s offense underwent a number of changes this offseason, and Mingo went from handling a snap share of 89% in 2023 to just 56% this year. An uptick in usage could be coming his way in Dallas, a team which has been without Brandin Cooks for more than one month. That injury has left the Cowboys thin in terms of depth receiver options behind CeeDee Lamb.

Cooks is a pending free agent, and aside from he and Lamb – who signed a monster extension this offseason – all of Dallas’ wideouts are attached to rookie deals. That includes Mingo, who showed plenty of potential as a deep threat with a 15.7 yards per catch average during his time at Ole Miss. The Cowboys could use a vertical presence in their passing game now and in the future, and Mingo could prove to be a cost-effective contributor in that regard after the team thought higher of him than any rookie added in the fourth round this April.

To little surprise, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said (via DLLS’s Clarence Hill Jr.) Mingo will play in Week 11. Dallas sits at 3-6 on the year and with Dak Prescott sidelined for the remainder of the campaign (among a number of other injuries), the chances of a postseason push are slim. Mingo’s debut and his performances the rest of the way will be an interesting storyline to follow, though.

Pats’ Christian Barmore Returns To Practice

November 15th, 2024 at 9:45am CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 15: Mayo left the door open to Barmore playing in Week 11 on a limited basis (video link via Reiss). A meeting will take place later today with doctors to determine if he gets the green light to return to game action immediately after practicing. In any event, Barmore should be in the lineup relatively soon.

NOVEMBER 14: Christian Barmore has been out of the lineup for the 2024 season while dealing with blood clots. Not long after Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo gave an encouraging update on his status, the fourth-year defensive tackle is positioned to resume on-field work.

Barmore is expected to practice today, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Mayo indicated such a development could be possible in the near future yesterday, so it comes as little surprise a return to the field is forthcoming. Getting Barmore back in the fold at any point this campaign would be crucial for New England’s defensive front. Barmore has since returned to the field, as ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss confirms.

The 25-year-old was diagnosed with blood clots in late July, leaving him sidelined as his attention turned to recovery. Without a firm timeline in place, the possibility existed that Barmore would be out for the entire season, although today’s news is a strong sign that will not be the case. He remains on the reserve/non-football injury list at this time, and suiting up for practice would open his 21-day activation window. Being moved onto the active roster within that span would allow Barmore to play this season.

The former second-rounder landed a four-year, $84MM extension this spring to avoid the 2024 campaign becoming a potential walk year. The blood clot diagnosis marked an unwanted turn for team and player, of course, but the size of that investment illustrates Barmore’s importance to the Patriots’ defense. He took a major step forward in the pass-rush department last year, setting a career high with 8.5 sacks. Barmore’s 64 tackles, 19 pressures, 13 tackles for loss and six pass deflections that year also marked a personal high.

In his absence, the Patriots have allowed just under 131 rushing yards per game; that ranks 23rd in the league. Improvement in that regard would be key in continuing the team’s momentum from winning two of its last three games. Barmore managing to reprise his role as a key pass-rushing figure along the interior would also give New England’s defense a notable boost.

Sitting at 3-7 on the year, the Patriots face a long road to playoff contention. Regardless of how the rest of the campaign plays out, though, getting Barmore back on the field for any stretch would be a signficant positive.

Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill Dealing With Wrist Injury; No In-Season Surgery Planned

November 15th, 2024 at 8:56am CST by Adam La Rose

Tyreek Hill has missed notable practice time (but not any games) in 2024 as he deals with a wrist injury. The Dolphins All-Pro will consider surgery to address the issue, but nothing on that front will take place during the season.

Hill said (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques) he injured his wrist in August, and it has worsened over the course of the campaign. The 30-year-old’s production has taken a notable step back in 2024 as he deals with the ailment; Hill topped 100 yards in Week 1 but has yet to do so in a game since. His 51.3 yards per game average is his lowest since his rookie season and a stark contrast to his league-leading 112.4 from 2023.

Part of that can, of course, be attributed to the time quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missed while he was on injured reserve due to a concussion. Miami’s offense struggled as a whole with Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley at the helm, and the team sits 30th in the league in scoring. Increased output on Hill’s part could help in that regard, and he intends to remain on the field the rest of the way while managing the injury.

“At the end of the day, I just got to suck it up and just deal with the pain,” the eight-time Pro Bowler said. “It’s going to get worse the more I play, but I got to [gut] it out for my team. I’m here, I’m locked in no matter what, no matter how I feel…. Surgery was brought up and it was talked about whenever I talked to a few of the doctors, but it’s my call at the end of the day, and my call is to stay out on the field.”

The Dolphins sit at 3-6 on the year, so plenty of work remains for them to reach postseason contention. Improved efficiency through the air would be key in sparking a turnaround during the second half of the campaign, and if that is to take place Hill will no doubt play a central role. Expectations in his case could be lowered, though, considering the fact his condition will not improve until surgery takes place.

The five-time All-Pro agreed to a restructured deal this offseason which has a base value of $90MM over three years. The pact includes $65MM in practical guarantees, making his health over both the short and long term a key priority for the Dolphins. Nevertheless, any procedures aimed at healing the injury will be put off for at least a few more months.

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